Punkin! :)

by Jordan
(Dahlonega, Georgia)

This is my PUNK! :P

One afternoon, I was out on a ride with my horse when my dogs, Darcie and Daisy, started barking their heads off! I turned my horse around and saw this beautiful dog. I immediately jumped of my horse, which was a stupid decision since I was riding bareback and had no way to get back on!

I walked up to the skiddish dog to try and find a collar or any sign of an owner. She was very jumpy and, even under her winter coat, I could tell she was skinny. I took off my other dogs collar and put it on her and asked my neighbor for a leash. I checked to find out the gender. It was a girl! Yes, now maybe there was a possibility of keeping her, I am 14 years old and every time I see a stray animal its the first thing i think of! :)

So I lead her home, which proved to be very difficult. She wasnt afraid of my horse, so every five seconds I had to make sure she wasn't in front of him about to get trampled, and she chewed through the leash TWICE! I finally had to trade out the weak leash for my leather horse rein.

When I got her home I gave her an insanely long bath. She has such a thick coat, I couldn't believe it! After that, I got right to making posters. I hung them up everywhere in my small town and waited. No one ever replied to the posters and that was months ago. I took her to the vet and she had no records or chip. It was like a miracle come true! I had always wanted an Australian Shepard, and here one fell in my lap. And what a great one she is!

She is my best friend, sort of like my guardian angel in a way. Every time she sees me arrive home she gets excited and has to give me a hug. It's so cute because she jumps up and really embraces the moment. And she is deff the one who decides how long the hug is. haha. We have created a bond that she has with no one else. She really is nervous around a lot of people and for her to have so much trust in me really means a lot. I am not sure what I'd do without my Punkin! :))

Comments for Punkin! :)

When it comes to Aussies there is no other breed, they are a breed apart. They can read your mood and just sort of know when you need a friend. They often pick one person in the family to be their special friend, so that makes you special. Don't worry about her being skiddish around strangers, many are, thats normal for the breed, I guess because they are so protective. Enjoy her, they are very special dogs, no other breed can come close.

Love Punkinby: Donna

She is a beautiful red merle. I have a red merle Angus and a blue merle, Oliver and they are the best dogs in the world. You go girl! You are a great writer and have a lot of wisdom and heart for your age!